You Can't Give Up
by jstar1382
Summary: Post 6x23- Struggling to deal with Castle's disappearance, Beckett finds out that she has some additional motivation to find her missing fiance'
1. Chapter 1

_A/N- I do not own Castle or any of it's characters. Wish I did, I'd have a better wardrobe :)_

_This is my first fanfic so please be kind. Any advice to make my future stories better will be highly appreciated. Thanks to Joanna- if she didn't tell me I should post it...I probably never would have!_

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**_You Can't Give Up_**

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**_Chapter 1_**

Time was standing still. Her breathing had slowed. She kept trying to calm down her racing heart. What was she going to do? She didn't have time for this, not now. This wasn't part of the plan. Hell none of this was part of their plan. But this? Sure, in the future…but not now. Not with all the uncertainty in her life.

Her focus had to be him. She had to find him. She didn't know where to look, not without clues. The boys had no clues and she had basically been worthless. "_You can't give up"._ His words broke through her internal rambling, but it didn't stop it.

Time was standing still, but moving too fast at the same time. He'd been gone for one week. One week without seeing him. Without touching him. Without him…

She didn't have time for this. Not now, maybe not ever. Not without him. This was their future. Someone sabotaged their happy ending. They earned their happy ending, dammit. They'd been through hell and back together. Why more? How much could two people expect to take? Expected to handle without shattering into a million pieces. _"You can't give up. That's the deal." _His words tried to remind her. Reminded her to be strong for him, for them.

She took one more deep breath, trying to push confidence back into her system. She could do this; she had to. She would find him and until that point, no one else could know. She threw the plastic test, with the 2 pink lines, away into the trash bin, washed her hands and splashed cold water on her face. She could do this. She had to; there was more than just them to consider now.

* * *

Kate walked into their bedroom and grabbed her phone off of the nightstand. She saw on the caller ID that it was the precinct. Hoping this was the call she was waiting for, "Beckett."

"Hey. You should probably get down here. We may have something." She released the breath she didn't know she was holding. There was hope. Sure Esposito didn't have all the answers nor did he give her many details over the phone, but he had given her hope. She needed that.

"I'm on my way." She carefully placed her chain with her engagement ring around her neck and quickly put on her father's watch before she ran out the door.

The drive to the precinct was longer than usual. She wasn't sure if it was her desire to get there as soon as possible or if there was an unusual amount of traffic. By the time she made it into the parking garage, her frustration was on high. Castle was out there and she knew it. He was out there and he needed her. She was letting him down so far and she needed to fix this. She needed to find him.

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"So what do you have?" Beckett said walking up to the boys, who were huddled around Espo's computer. Her voice appeared to startle Ryan who was concentrating on some footage on the screen.

"Well, you know how we received word of the black SUV driving on the same highway where Castle's car was found? Black SUV's are just as popular as you would think, so it was pretty much a needle in a haystack. However, Tori was able to correlate traffic cam footage of vehicles meeting that description, with the time they would be heading out of town."

"Ryan, get to the point. Did you find the car that was involved with Castle's accident?" He looked at her sympathetically, she didn't want his pity, but she felt bad for snapping. This wasn't his fault and he was just trying to help.

"Sorry Beckett. Yes, we found the SUV. It was completely wiped of all prints and most DNA"

"Most DNA? What do you mean most…"

"CSU recovered a piece of hair in the cargo area. Nothing anywhere else…Beckett, it was Castle's hair," Espo said with an exhale after finishing his partner's story. Castle was back in the city. Alive? Why would someone abduct him and drive him back into her jurisdiction? And why would they be so careful with most of the trace evidence, but be so careless with something that would link Castle to that car.

"They wanted us to know he was there. It's almost like they're leaving us breadcrumbs. Who the hell are these people?"

Esposito turned back to the screen which was still blocked from Kate's view.

"This is what we were looking at when we called you. After we got confirmation that it was Castle's hair in the car, we had uni's canvas the area trying to find out if anyone saw someone matching his description. A homeless guy mentioned that he may have seen 3 people moving back toward the building where they ditched the car. He said that the man matching Castle's description didn't seem to be walking on his own. That he almost seemed drugged."

"Oh my god." He was in the city and he was alive. Why were they still sitting here? She was getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Not sure if her gut was trying to tell her something or if her body was trying to re-confirm the test results from this morning. She swallowed down the bile that was rising in her throat and refocused on the issue. They needed to get down there and they needed to go now.

Ryan interrupted her thoughts before she could move, "Beckett, Tori was able to find security camera footage that covered that building."

"What…okay that's a good thing, right?" The boys moved so Ryan was standing on her right and Espo was standing on her left. Why were they being so cautious with her?

"Kate, the camera confirmed that one of the kidnappers was Tyson" Her hand flew to her mouth; she really was going to be sick.

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_**TBC**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer- I don't own Castle or anything associated with it...if I did...I'd buy more shoes**_

_**A/N- Thanks to Joanna and Janna for the help with this one. As always- any thoughts and constructive criticism is always welcome.**_

**Chapter 2**

She barely made it into the stall before all the contents of her stomach emptied into the toilet in front of her. Tyson. She shuddered at the thought of Castle potentially being held by the serial killer. Steadying herself by gripping the side of the cool porcelain, she paused for a moment to make sure her stomach was fully settled. Once she felt that the nausea subsided, Beckett slowly prepared to face Ryan and Esposito. She made quite an exit after they revealed their findings to her and she needed to decide how she would ease their possible suspicions. Kate Beckett usually had a strong stomach even among the most brutal of crime scenes, how would she cover herself getting sick over words.

"Tyson is dead…" Beckett's shaky voice didn't give any credibility to the statement, as she walked back toward the boys. Stepping back, she had to find a chair because her knees almost buckled under her. If Tyson was truly alive and behind this, then Castle was in even bigger danger then they could imagine. Tyson was a psychopath and his obsessive vendetta against Castle seemed to never end. The fact that he was willing to come out of hiding in order to ruin their happiness was absolutely terrifying. "This can't be happening. We need to go down there….What does Gates know?"

Ryan looked over at Esposito with a knowing look and shrugged. "Beckett, are you alright? I know this is a lot to process, but you do not look like you should be going anywhere right now…"

Kate glared at the detective. Sure she probably looked as bad as she felt, but no one and nothing would stand in the way of getting Castle back. "I'm fine." She forced from her lips. "I am getting Castle back, whether you want to help or not. How I look should not have anything to do with that fact. I know you would move heaven and earth to find Jenny if she were missing. Or what about you, Espo? If Lanie was gone, should I tell you to hang out at your desk if you seemed a little under the weather?"

"Beckett, we didn't mean…" Esposito was quickly cut off by Beckett.

"I don't care what you mean at this point guys. What I care about is finding my fiancé. So do you have my back or do I need to go find him without you?" She stood up with a new-found confidence and determination. Kate wouldn't let her body betray her or prevent her from saving Castle. She needed him so she forced herself to mask her emotions until he was back with her. Esposito quickly spoke up.

"Of course I have your back. Without question."

Ryan looked at her concerned, "You know I'm with you. But Gates really needs to…"

"No, Ryan. If she doesn't know yet, we can't tell her. She'd take me off this case in a heartbeat. Hell, she'd stop us all from this. This isn't classified as a homicide. This is a missing person and we are all way to close to this…She can't know. We need to do this on our own." Kate looked over at him, half expecting her friend to bow out. She knew Ryan cared about Castle, but she also knew how much he hated going against policy. Hell his hesitation probably saved her life last time; when Esposito and herself went rouge. But it didn't matter now. He nodded under the stares of the other detectives.

"Okay, good. Now what do we know about the other person with them?"

"We don't know much. The third person seemed to keep their face hidden from the camera. So for all we know, it could be someone who Tyson was just using for this job. An extra handyman of sorts..." Going in there without complete intel was not ideal at all, but she didn't have a choice. They had to use the resources they had available and trust that Castle was able to keep himself alive while they planned his rescue.

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Kate drove up to the alley on the side of the building and paused for a second to compose herself, while waiting on the boys. He was in there and he needed her. She knew she had to be careful. She knew she had a lot on the line and more lives were at stake than just her own; but everything would be okay as soon as they found him. Ryan and Esposito pulled up just as she was getting out of her car. The area was completely deserted, but their source told them they saw people go into this building. They were going in blind and it was reckless. Back at the precinct, after she realized how little information they truly had, Beckett tried to talk the boys out of this, claiming it was her fight. They shouldn't risk their careers to get her fiancé back. Of course, they both quickly shot her down. Castle was their friend. They wanted him back safe and couldn't bear to have Kate go at this alone. If it was too dangerous for the three of them, it would have been near insanity for just Beckett to do it without backup.

They told Gates they were out following a lead on the unsolved murder that was currently going nowhere. Kate wanted Castle back and she wasn't going to let policy and procedure get in the way with that. She felt bad lying to her for a moment because recently their work relationship had greatly improved. Gates had her back during the whole Bracken incident, but Beckett couldn't risk her stopping this. Castle was too important.

Sneaking toward the building, Kate had a nagging feeling that she should have told the boys about why she really was sick earlier. But if they knew, they may have made her step back and that wasn't an option she was willing to consider. Plus, if anyone was going to know at this point, Castle needed to know first.

She was going to get him back come hell or high water. She needed to be careful and the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach told her Castle wouldn't want her risking her safety for this. Not with this suicide mission. But she couldn't do this without Castle. She needed him and she was getting him back. He could be mad at her and tell her how reckless she was, after he was safe in her arms.

"Okay, so a quick survey of the building revealed there are 3 different entrances. The witness could not be sure which door they went in and the camera footage shorted out before they entered any of the three doors…" Esposito explained to the team in a hushed tone and Kate nodded. It wasn't ideal, but it was the only option.

"Let's each take one of the doors." The boys seemed to try and shoot down this plan, but her glare stopped them in their tracks. "I know it's against all protocol. And most likely, downright stupid. But right now, that is the quickest way to find him. Maybe all doors will lead to Castle, but maybe only one will be the one. I can't risk us blowing it by putting all of our hope on picking the one door that won't get us caught. We just need to be on alert and you guys need to be careful. I completely understand if you don't want to do this. I won't hold it against you if you back out now." They both shook their heads as the detectives finished putting on their vests. "Okay. Let's not waste anymore time."

All three detectives made their way around the building, slowly pursuing a door in the dimly lit area. Beckett's heart was beating on overdrive. Everything about this was wrong. She was being completely irresponsible in her plight to find Castle. Her instincts should have told her what a bad idea this was and she should've known that there were other ways to get Castle back. Everything about this rescue mission was driven by emotion and logic was thrown out the window. Once she got to the door that was her mark, Kate carefully turned the unlocked door and stalked into the structure.

In hindsight, she should've wondered why the door was unlocked. That was one of the last things she thought of when she heard, "Hello Detective Beckett. I'm delighted you were finally able to join us." That was when everything went black….

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer- Still don't own Castle...wish I did...maybe I'd travel more :)**_

_**A/N- Thanks to Joanna and Janna for the help and ideas. I changed it a bit after you guys read it. All mistakes are mine and I apologize, but I'm still getting the hang of this.**_

_**Chapter 3**_

"Kate…Kate…please wake up…" Beckett's eyelids felt heavy, way too heavy to even attempt to open. Her head was in a fog and all she wanted to do was go back to sleep. "Kate…please. Beckett, please open your eyes..." She felt herself being nudged, as the far off voice was saying words that her muddled brain couldn't make out. The voice sounded familiar, but she was too sleepy to care. A light touch pressed against her forehead, almost feather like, but warm. Gentle. Wait…where was she? "Kate…" Another light touch on her cheek, a kiss... Someone was kissing her… "Kate…" The haze in her brain started to clear and it finally dawned on her. She recognized that voice!

"Castle…" A whisper fell from her lips. Softer than she intended; she wanted to scream his name. She wanted to open her eyes and see him. He was here, but where was here? Forcing herself to focus on opening her eyes, they fluttered for a moment before she mentally pinned her eyelids open. Darkness. Even with her eyes wide open, she couldn't see a thing in front of her. She tried to clear her mind and piece together what happened. She had a massive headache and she was beyond nauseous. Oh right. Kate tried to move her hand to gently caress her abdomen where her secret was kept, but only then did she come to the harsh realization that her hands were bound behind her back. "Thank God you're alive! I was so scared you were…" Her voice cracked before she could finish, before she could voice her greatest fear. She paused for a second to compose herself. He was here with her, but then all the questions reappeared in her consciousness. "Castle, what the hell is going on? Where are we?"

The building she remembered. But wait, something didn't feel right. It was almost like she was moving, but staying still at the same time. Her mind registered a rumbling sound that she didn't notice before. "Kate, from what I can tell, we are in the back of a van or a moving truck of some sort…" Shit. How could she be so stupid? Act first, think second. She was smarter than this. Why couldn't she ever learn?

"Rick, are you really okay? Tyson was there…How?" She took a shaky breath, all the while trying to sit up as much as possible.

"I'm fine. Just a little bruised, but I'm alive…"

Her head was absolutely spinning, but she needed to concentrate on getting them out of this. Wait, Ryan and Esposito? "Castle, did you see Ryan or Espo? They were with me. We split up and they covered other areas of the building. Did Tyson get them?" Shifting slightly to her right, she was able to find Castle shoulder and she angled her body up against his for support.

"I wish I could tell you. I didn't see the boys. He had me held in that building but I couldn't even tell you where that building was if I tried. I woke up in that room and before that, the last thing I remembered was a black SUV running me off the road. I managed to crawl out of my car after the airbag deployed and he was there…I remember a sharp prick in my neck, so I'm assuming they injected me with something. Probably the same thing he shot you up with after they knocked you out. I tried to yell to warn you, but my voice didn't get very far with the gag in my mouth…"

"I was drugged? Oh God…" She was so stupid. Castle didn't even know yet and she may have already ruined their family. Ruined his chance to be a father again, she already put their unborn child in harm's way. "Oh God…" She muttered again under her breath. Castle deserved to know what she discovered this morning…was it only this morning? Damn, how did things go so wrong so quick? Her internal rant of self-deprecation continued for a bit, but she knew that this wasn't helping their current situation. Blaming herself for her current predicament would not get them out of here and they WERE getting out of here.

She just needed to figure out how because after they were free; she needed to tell Castle the news. He would not find out that their family was expanding while they were abducted by a serial killer. No, there were many ways to tell someone that you're pregnant, but she knew that this was not one of them. "Castle, how long have we been driving? We need to figure out a way out of this."

"Not sure how long exactly... After they injected you, he dosed me again. It was weird. While I was awake, Tyson didn't say much and that's not really his style. He likes to get inside a person's head. Mess with their mind, yet he was pretty much silent. All he said was we couldn't begin until you joined us. He knew you were coming…"

"Yeah, I'm sure he did. He basically spoon fed the clues to us and I was too blinded by my drive to find you…I missed all the red flags. I'm so sorry, Castle. I should've been more careful…I should've had a better plan to find you." Tear slowly blurred her limited vision. She blinked them away, allowing them to roll down her cheek. Kate hoped that due to the dim environment, Castle wouldn't realize she was crying, but he was so attuned to her. He knew.

"Hey, hey. This isn't your fault, Kate. I should've noticed his SUV trailing me sooner before he ran me off the road. There's a lot of should have scenarios that we could both be playing in our heads, but that won't help. We will find a way out. We're together and right now that's all that matters. Remember what I said the other day?"

"You can't give up..." She said through a sob.

"Exactly, we can't give up. We've got this. Together, we're unstoppable. They don't have a chance." God she loved him. This man, whom at first drove her crazy and she wanted him out of her precinct as soon as the book was done, but now, this man, she loved him more than life itself. He was her rock and he gave her hope, even when it looked pretty hopeless.

Calming herself down, she felt her body jolt. "Castle, we've stopped…Someone's coming." The cargo door opened suddenly and the two of them were temporarily blinded by the onset of bright light. Adjusting their vision, they were greeted by two men wearing ski-masks. Maybe not greeted, more like manhandled out of the van. Either way, neither of these men were Tyson. What the hell?

Kate tried to look around to find any distinguishing landmarks or signs, but she didn't recognize this place at all. She started to get frantic. When Kate realized that they were being led to another van, the panic spilled over and out of her mouth. "Where the hell are you taking us?! Just let us go! I'm a cop. You don't want to do this…" Kate tried to wiggle her body free while still in a pretty groggy state; but it was a lost cause and she was overpowered by the two thugs pulling them toward the van. She didn't stop fighting or moving and Castle was doing the same thing but it didn't get either of them far.

"Dose them…" One of the men muttered to Beckett's horror. No, she couldn't let them drug her anymore. She looked anxiously towards Castle and then looked desperately towards the men as one of them lifted a syringe to her neck.

"Please…please don't. The baby…" was all she managed to get out, before she lost consciousness. Castle looked at her with a pained look of desperation and confusion.

"Baby?" And before he could process this idea, he was injected and shoved into the back of the other van, right next to Beckett.

**_A/N part 2: Just a reminder this is classified as angst/romance but not tragedy. Keep that in mind before you bring out the pitchforks. :) Let me know what you think!_**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer- Castle or any other Castle type goodness is unfortunately not mine.**_

_**A/N- I am blown away by all the support you all are giving me for this story. I'm so happy and grateful that people are reading, reviewing, following and favoriting! Thanks so much! Special thanks for Joanna and Janna!**_

_**Chapter 4**_

Cold and wet. Kate Beckett slowly started to regard consciousness. There was a slow drip from a pipe hovering above her head which had left both her hair and skin soaked. How long was she sitting underneath this? And where the hell was she at now? Looking around, she was alone in what seemed to be a small damp room. It had very poor lighting which led her to believe that it was in a basement of some sort. "Castle…" She called out for him, wincing from her scratchy, dry throat. Not sure what the time was or what day it was anymore; but she knew it had been a significant amount of time since she ate or drank anything. Her arms were shackled in cuffs above her head, but there wasn't a second set. No indication that Castle was ever in the room with her. Please God. He had to be okay. They had to survive this. Her heart dropped when she thought of the pregnancy and her current situation. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if anything happened to any of them. "Castle…" She yelled more frantically, but no response. Why were they separated? Then she heard the screams…

"You can't touch her. I don't care what you do to me. Kill me if you have to….Just don't hurt her…" Kate heard Castle pleading through the wall. He begged for her life and safety, in exchange for his own. That made her sick. She was the cop. It was her job to keep him safe. Sure they were partners, but when push came to shove, she was the one with the badge. She took the oath. Struggling against the cuffs, her mind was racing with ideas on how to get out. Would the boys being looking for them? Did they even make it out of that building? This was such a mess. Beckett started shouting at the top of her lungs when she heard Castle's cries of distress and then there was silence. Not before long, she heard footsteps.

Kate's focused on the door slam open. Tyson pulled Castle's almost lifeless body into the room and kicked him to the ground. He cried out before he appeared to pass out from the pain. Staring in his direction, she tried to stretch herself as much as possible to reach him, to no avail. She choked back a sob, knowing that both of their pain was bringing Tyson an immeasurable amount of entertainment.

"What did you do to him?! You sick piece of shit. You better listen to me. When I get out of here, and you damn better believe I am…I will rain down a special kind of hell on destroying you. You and whatever minions you've brainwashed will not touch any of the people I love, again."

"Well hello again, Detective Beckett." Tyson laughed as he stood leering at her in the doorway. Beckett flung her body toward the serial killer but the chains prevented her from getting very far. His amusement seemed to increase when he saw how distressed Kate was in the chains. "Now... now... Detective. You don't want to hurt your pretty little wrists. Not after your fiancé so selflessly pleaded for you to be spared. How does that feel? You're a cop and the one person you love the most was just nearly beaten to death because of you."

Kate stared at Castle's motionless body as tears filled her eyes. She willed herself to stay strong. She would not break in front of Tyson. He did not deserve this victory and she would not give him the satisfaction of seeing them both broken at his hands. "You were dead. Why didn't you just stay that way? You got your girlfriend to steal all your records. Why take Castle?" Her voice was shaky but her words remained strong. She would not let him win.

"I was enjoying branching out in a new area. Kelly made sure that my records were wiped clear so starting fresh outside New York was pretty easy. Plus with her talents, she was able to take care of making sure our tracks were covered. However, I knew your fiancé wouldn't give up the notion that I was still out there. Then a couple months ago, we stumbled upon your little engagement announcement. There is nothing more perfect than destroying you both by preventing the wedding from happening. It was too perfect watching you plan and I knew that I would completely ruin it. Every last detail…you both spent hours making sure your happy ending would be just what you dreamed…" Tyson smirked as he told his tale, all along; he walked closer and closer to her. She couldn't believe that he was planning it for so long, but she couldn't help but blame herself. If she didn't put the announcement in the paper, maybe they would be married and on their honeymoon, instead of abducted and beaten.

"You're a psychopath. And you over played your hand. People are looking for us and you won't survive this! I promise you..." She spat her response in his direction. At this point Tyson was standing so close that she could feel the warmth from his body and it turned her stomach. Kate struggled in the shackles and kicked him away from her as best as she could. The more she strained against the cuffs and the more she fought against the iron- Jerry loved it. This was exactly what he envisioned. Though he planned on beating them both, seeing the agony on her face is better.

"Oh Detective, I'm really not scared of what either of you think you can do to me. You pose no threat to me or my plan anymore. You both were just a minor nuisance - easily fixable. Hell you can't even see when you're being led into a trap. I mean, you bought all these minor _wedding disasters _without a second thought. I had you convinced that you were actually married for 15 years. You've had numerous background checks according to your records. There is no way you wouldn't know you were married to a felon!" She stared at him in disbelief at this point. She was an idiot…Why didn't she stop through all the stress of the discovery and actually think how asinine the idea of the marriage to Rogan really was.

How in the world could he pull something like that off? Sure he's creative and the minor mishaps she could believe to be his handiwork. But, forging civil records like that? "How…" It was all she managed to voice as she stared back at Castle. This really was all Tyson. All the mind games and all disappointment of her being previously married… It was all him. Castle put on a brave face, but she could tell it sadden him to know that she was already married. He always liked the idea that he was her one and only. One and done so to speak. However, this idea of the Vegas wedding shattered that illusion. "How could that even be possible?"

"Many things are possible when you know the right people. Records can be altered or changed, much like they can disappear. As I'm sure you recall from what happened at your little precinct. Kelly is very good at what she does…or should I say, WAS very good." Beckett gasped for air.

"You killed her…"

"She was very useful. After she handled the people I needed to get your records altered, I had her help with a couple other items. However, I can't have so many loose ends floating around. I needed her silenced because pretty soon, she would run out of places to hide the bodies. We couldn't put them all on display for the cops like we did when she removed my records. Most of our _EMPLOYEES- _so to speak, _are_ in shallow graves now." So he really held no emotional ties to people. If he was willing to kill his girlfriend, where did that leave them? "You both will be wishing that I will kill you by the end of this. Every life that I take will all be because you couldn't stop me and all that blood will be on your hands."

"We have people looking for us…" Beckett repeated, but her voice lost its power. She began to feel defeated.

"You and _YOUR_ people. The same people- that walked into that building not thinking that I would be prepared. I had cameras on you the entire time. I knew you were coming, hell I saw you coming. Walking right up to the doorway… I watched where you were headed and made sure I was there to give you a proper greeting. Don't worry. My men made sure to rough up your people a bit…"

"You seriously are a sick son of a b…"

"Now now, detective. I didn't have them killed. They're alive. Hell I even left them a little note signed by my late girlfriend. Basically taunting them and confessing to being the mastermind behind the whole operation and kidnapping…So now, they'll be looking for her. So they're literally chasing a ghost right now…"

"You're wrong. They knew you were involved. It's what led us to you…"

"True, because I wanted you to be led there. However, I made sure the cameras didn't see us leave the building or what direction we were headed. Hell- they don't even know what car we were driving…plus right now I'm pretty sure you're resources are still searching to find where I left your defeated detective friends. It will take them a considerable amount of time before they even start searching for you two. All the while, I get to have my fun…any guesses where we are?" Beckett just stared at him with tears in her eyes. Tears that she refused to let fall in front of him.

"Go to hell…" she growled at him. His sinister joy in this situation had her reeling. He laughed at her retort, as he walked toward the door.

"Have fun with your fiancé, Kate. Sorry that he may not have much to say…" Tyson continued to laugh as he walked through the door, slamming it behind him. Kate looked at where he once stood – pained. That man had a vendetta against them that was relentless and if she didn't figure out a way out quick, innocent people would continue to die at his hands. Beckett looked back toward Castle as he finally started to stir. His face was swollen, bloody and bruised; sadly matching the rest of his skin that she could see.

"Castle….babe…" She called to him with a broken voice. The tears that threatened to spill from her eyes were now freely rolling down her face. "Castle, I need you to wake up. Please…" He tried to move his body and faltered back, slamming his torso to the ground. The scream that unleashed from his lips was gut wrenching. Knowing the pain he was in, the pain he spared her from….they needed a plan and they needed to act quickly before anyone returned.

Castle's eyes slowly opened in her direction and he gave her a small smile. "Kate, you're okay…" He was weak and broken; but he was alive and he was with her. And he was not cuffed…

* * *

**_Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!_**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer- Castle is not mine...sigh**_

_**A/N: Thanks to Joanna and Janna for reading it over and listening to me whining. **_

_**This chapter is slightly different then the others because it starts in Castle's perspective but then halfway through, switches back to Beckett. Hopefully it's not too confusing! Hope you enjoy!**_

_**Chapter 5**_

Castle slowly focused his sight on Kate. After everything they've been through, her beauty still took his breath away. Even now, when they were trapped in this horrific nightmare; the fact that he was here with her gave him more strength then he should have. His mind was in a haze. The events of the last couple days were broken up in his mind. Flashes of memories and words spoken. Remembering that day when he was elated and in love, on his way to marry his soul mate, when disaster struck. The tux that Alexis helped him pick out was in shambles. Ruined beyond repair. He had worn it for well over a week- does that mean he got his money's worth out of wearing it? Even in his mind, he was trying to make jokes as a defense mechanism. Defending himself against the possibility that this was as far as they go. They'd been running against the odds for so long. Was he a fool to think that they could avoid this worst possible fate?

He was the perpetual optimist- but what if that was all for nothing… Fairy tales don't exist, so why did he think they'd get their happy ending in this corrupted world.

Kate stared down at him with tears streaming down her face and suddenly his belief shot back through him. Because of her. He believed it all because of her. She deserved her happy ending and he would move mountains if he had to, in order to make it happen. The love he felt for this woman and his desire to protect her above all else…this was why.

Castle raised his head slightly trying to clear the mental fog. That fog that mentally blocked him from the specifics and of the events from the last couple days. Tyson tormented him with the idea of how broken Kate had become searching for him. When he saw the images from the security camera of Beckett coming into the building, he tried to warn her. He tried to scream, but his mouth was covered. The more agitated he became, one of Tyson's men finally injected him with God knows what. From that point on, everything was a jumbled mess. Like sleep walking. There were lucid moments followed by periods of time and conversations that seemed like a dream or that he was watching while under water. Obviously an effect of whatever drugs the serial killer had pumped into his system. He remembered waking up to find Kate with him, but she was still passed out. Castle had recollection of the couple talking and trying to make a plan, but that was when the fog rolled back in his mind. His memory of the details and how they even ended up in this current room originally was completely lost on him. However, he remembered some thug dragging him out of the room and throwing him into a separate area where Tyson was waiting for him. Castle remembered how Tyson laughed about his men learning an interesting detail about their lives, but that was where the memory blackout began. He couldn't recall what Tyson said nor could he recall what torturous events led to his current broken state.

All he knew was they needed to get out of here. He needed to use all his strength that he had left to get them out of here. "Kate…" He choked out, coughing from his lack of fluids. "How secure are those cuffs?"

"What? Castle, if they weren't secure, don't you think I would have tried to get out of them by now?" He smiled at her attitude and her sarcastic response.

"I realize this, but are they police grade? Can you tell?" Castle eased himself up, pausing for a moment as the room began to spin, and then balanced back onto the wall facing Beckett. With adrenaline pumping through his body, he ignored the pain and reached for something that was attached to his belt. When they were safe, he could worry about his injuries…he could worry about his pain. Right now, he had to worry about them and getting them away from Tyson. "Do you think this will help?"

* * *

Seriously, only Castle. "What man carries that around with them?" Kate laughed while rolling her eyes in his direction. Across the small room, her fiancé sat there holding up what appeared to be 2 bobby pin type utensils. How in the world? "Castle. Was that honestly what I think it is?"

His small smile grew to one of almost joy. Almost. They were still in a very bleak situation, but this revelation did seem to have them slowly on the upswing of things. "This is my insurance policy on not getting stuck in cuffs again, if I could help it. After our date with the tiger a couple years back, I discovered these bad boys on the internet and found a way to hide them in whatever belt I have worn ever since. With our luck, I figured you could never be too careful." This insane genius man... She looked at him with an awestruck expression.

"I love you. You are a genius. How did he not find that on you?"

"Well for having everything planned out…" He stopped to cough and winced when he tried to take a deep breath. "He didn't really do anything aside from emptying my pockets. I wish I would've been in my right mind earlier and we could've maybe tried to get out of the other set of cuffs he had us in." Castle stopped for a moment and then gently started to move himself closer to Kate.

"Please be careful. We need to get you to a doctor…"

"One thing at a time…first we need to get you out of those and we need us out of this room…"

She could tell that he was pushing the pain aside, fully determined to get this done. To get them away from Tyson... The one thing that Kate loved the most about him was his unwavering protective instinct for the ones he loved. He was the most compassionate and gentle man, but if you dared to threaten his family- a new side appeared. She had only seen that aspect of his personality a couple times, however it had left quite an impression on her. Castle made her feel safe. Now she needed out of the restraints so she could make him feel safe too. Hopefully, she could get him to a hospital. As she quickly assessed his body, she could tell how badly injured he truly was from Tyson's violent attack. He needed medical treatment because she was worried that there were more injuries that she couldn't even see. Once she knew that he was okay…She needed to make sure she was too. Kate shuddered to think if Tyson unknowingly hurt their baby. No, she internally assured herself, everything would be fine. It had to be. "Do you think you can actually pick these locks with that?"

"Well the Amazon product description said that it can help you out of anything…you honestly wouldn't believe the things I've found on there. Its rea-"

"Castle! Not the time…" She rolled her eyes at her fiancé. Even in the toughest of situations and even with the bleakest future, his child-like awe shone through. The man was probably far more injured then she could even see, and yet, here he was, trying to take her mind off of things.

"Sorry! Yes…my hands may be a little shaky right now, but I've practiced picking locks enough times while working on writing the Derrick Storm novels." Castle adjusted his body next to hers after her finally reached her side of the room. Unjustified relief washed over her system. They weren't out of danger and she wasn't even out of the cuffs yet, but he was next to her. "Hi…" He looked down at her with a pained smile and softly brushed his lips against her forehead. "We've got this."

"Okay, we've got this." She believed him. So much so, that the small kiss from him replenished her belief that it was possible for the moment. Castle slowly worked the tension tools and eventually managed to pop one of the restraints open. His smile grew wide and then winced in obvious pain. The pain seemed to distract him long enough that one of the small metal tools slipped from his grasp. Beckett sucked in a quick puff of air and held that breath as she heard the instrument clatter on the cement floor.

"Sorry…my hand couldn't keep a hold of it…" He whispered before they sat silently for a moment. Barely a breath passed between the two of them as they just listened. "I don't think anyone heard. Hell I don't even hear anyone out there…It sounds eerily quiet" With Kate's free hand, she picked up the fallen tool and handed it back to Castle. In a bit of a haze, she gently ran her hand along his wrist, along the freshly formed bruise, and up his torn sleeve of his tuxedo shirt. She then placed her finger against his lips…

"Shhh…We've got this…" He smiled against her finger, steadied his hands the best he could, and worked on the other lock. Before long, her other wrist was free from the iron. Castle carefully traced each wrist with his fingers where the cuffs bruised her, much like she just did and then brought each abused arm to his lips for a light kiss. They both slightly collapsed against the wall for a heartbeat, but they knew there wasn't any time to rest. Beckett started to move toward the door to check out the lock. "You rest for a minute. I'll work on this one…" She messed with the tools a bit before she finally heard the lock click. A small smile formed on her lips. "I did it." Concern fluttered in her stomach. They made it through all the locks, but now what. Castle physically couldn't handle another violent encounter of any sorts. What if they ran into Tyson or any of his men?

"That was pretty hot…" He tried to wink, but the pain was obvious.

"Not the time…hold that thought until we're free and finally home. Do you think you're strong enough to make a run for it?" After a pause, Castle sighed and nodded.

"Kate, it's our only chance. We have to. You can play nurse and worry about me when we're out of here…Sexy nurse outfit would be appreciated…" He smirked at her and then tried to cool his features. She knew this would take a lot out of him…everything he had left. But they can't give up.

"Ha. Okay, Castle. We'll talk about that when we get to that point…let's get out of here for now." Kate reached over for his hand; they both steadied themselves to their feet, and then cautiously opened the door.

**_Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: Wish I did, but I don't. So I live in fantasyland...**_

_**A/N: Thanks for all the love and reviews and comments. You guys are awesome! Joanna and Janna- thanks for the help as always!**_

_**Chapter 6**_

Of course the door had to make a loud creak the moment they opened it. Beckett rolled her eyes at the insanity of the current situation. They were both in a semi-drug induced haze and they were trying to escape a mad man. To make matters worse, Castle was barely able to keep it together while walking through the door. She looked back at him, gave him a small smile, and lightly rubbed her thumb over the top of the hand that she held for encouragement. This would be tough, but they needed to act now and think later.

Peeking around the dark hallway, there was no sign of anyone or anything. There wasn't even an indication of what type of building they were in. They were basically dragging themselves through the corridor completely blind to what could be around the corner or through the door. Not exactly ideal. However, ideal or not…this was their option. This was what they had to do in order to get out and get the help they both needed. Keeping their backs up against the wall, they reached the end of the hallway about to turn the corner…

"Hey, how the hell did you guys get out?" Shit! One of Tyson's men was standing right in front of them, but he didn't seem to be armed.

"Castle, run!" Beckett cried and basically shoved him past the man who was trying to block their way. Sure she was weak from not remembering when her last meal was, but her years of work outs and training were all for moments like these. With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Kate decked the man in the face and then got lost in the moment. Her out-of-body experience continued throughout the struggle, but her strength started to falter. The man was almost twice the size as Beckett and almost as well-trained in hand to hand combat. Before she knew it, he had her to the ground with his thick callused hands harshly grasping at her neck…her body tensed. This was it, hopefully Castle made it out at least... She struggled for breath and tried to free herself from his grip.

"Beckett!" Damnit Castle. However his voice broke through her attacker's concentration and he faltered just for a moment. That hesitation gave her the opportunity to knee him in the groin which debilitated him long enough for Castle to kick the man off of his fiancée. Taking a moment to catch her breath, Kate scrambled on all fours and punched him several times until he was unconscious.

Her eyes darted up to Castle who was hunched over breathing heavily. "Thank you, Castle. But you were supposed to leave; you need to get out of here…" His head slowly lifted so his eyes could meet hers. Yes, there was pain behind them. Anyone could see that. But behind the pain, his love for her shone through the darkness.

"I'm not leaving without you, Kate." The bruises on his skin were turning into uglier colors by the minute and she was pretty sure he had a couple broken bones. However, he managed to free her from the madman's hold with strength and stamina he shouldn't have left. Kate smiled up at him as she propped herself onto her feet. She gently kissed his cheek, and grabbed his hand.

"Thanks…" She whispered up to the man she loved. "Let's try this again…" Now able to reassess the hallway they entered before they were jumped, an exterior door is visible at the very end…about 4 doors down. Four doors where Tyson or others could be lurking... Four doors. They didn't have a choice. "Castle, do you think you can run?"

"I'll die trying…" She shot him a glare. Even in awful situations, he was still cracking jokes!

"Poor choice of words, Castle…" Kate reached up to kiss him on the lips, gave him a small smile, and squeezed him had for reassurance. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Let's get out of here…" Here goes nothing. It happened in a flash. One moment they were hesitantly staring at each other and the next moment they were practically sprinting out the door to freedom. The fresh air tasted delicious and cold on their weathered bodies. Freedom…but now that they were out, more questions came to mind.

* * *

Nothing familiar. Trees and lush greenery lined all the perimeters of their vision. Which way to go? How had Tyson not found them? Her thoughts were frenzied but she needed a focused mind. She needed to be a cop now, victim later. Tyson would realize that they were gone soon enough and they needed to be far away before that happened. She looked over at Castle as he was swaying back and forth. "Any ideas?"

"Look over there…" He pointed to their right, as he gasped for air from their near sprint out of the rundown building. "The trees aren't as dense over on that side…I can almost make out a road. It may be our best shot…" Without having a clear plan on how they would get help, getting out of Tyson's line of fire was first priority and any idea was better than no idea.

"Sounds like the best plan we've got. Do you think you can keep walking?"

"Kate, I really don't have much of a choice. Please stop worrying about me. I'll be fine until we get help. Now let's get moving!" Beckett looked over her back to make sure that no one was watching them. Thankfully they were in the clear. It was almost like their luck was changing. If by luck changing, it meant they were walking into a wooded area as the sun was setting and they were God knows where…yeah some luck.

* * *

Hours seemed to pass by as they wandered through the wooded area and out onto the road at the other side. While they hadn't quite made it to a phone or any civilization, they did see what appeared to be a town in the distance. Problem being, they were both tired and their adrenaline was wearing thin. The trauma that their bodies had endured was finally catching up to them both. There appeared to be a gas station a couple of miles down the road, but exhaustion finally made her stop in her tracks. "I need to sit down for a bit…I think the last couple days are finally taking their toll on me…" Sure, sitting on the side of the road was probably not the safest or the best of ideas, but she couldn't physically move any further.

"It's fine. I could really use a break too." Kate pulled both of her legs underneath herself as she just let the tension release from her body. Castle sat down next to her, pulling her close to his body. He brushed a feather-like kiss into her hair and let out a sigh.

"We would've still been on our honeymoon..." Tears gently roll down her cheek as she choked back a sob. "And now…"

"And now, we're alive and we're together. The rest is just details, Kate. You are not getting rid of me and soon enough, we will get married. But you know- we're already a family. The paperwork and ceremony will happen as soon as possible, but those details won't change our love for one another." She cuddled closer to him without trying to hurt him. She knew his body was more battered than obvious and knew there were bruises that couldn't be seen.

"Thank you. I feel the same way, but I want it to be official in every sense. Because you are my home…" She stopped for a minute, trying to steady her voice. "That's why I was so lost. Staring at that car…all of me seemed to be burning before my eyes. I kept telling myself that you weren't in there, but until I knew for sure…it took everything within me to not run to the car myself…I'm so happy you're here with me now." It's crazy to think that everything was so different just a little over a week ago. The wedding was supposed to be their dream and instead of a dream it quickly turned into a nightmare. Now they were on the run from a serial killer, on the side of the road in a yet to be known town, and they both needed medical attention badly.

She looked up to her fiancé and could only imagine the pain that was seizing throughout his body. Castle took the brunt of Tyson's wrath and she avoided the same fate because of his selflessness. Little did he know, he potentially also protected their unborn child. The baby…he needed to know. Rubbing her hand across his thigh, she turned and nuzzled her nose against his neck before placing a light kiss on the patch of skin below his ear. "Castle, there is something I need to tell you. Something I found out a day or so ago… It gave me hope that I would find you and now that you're here with me. I couldn't be happier about it. I think you'll feel the same. I'm pr…"

Just as she was about to deliver the news, car headlights could be seen in the distance. Oh no…Tyson? Did they track them down? "Shit!" They both hustled to their feet and started to run toward the town in the distance. They were trying to outrun a car when neither one was at their peak physical condition. It was a losing battle.

The car was on their tail before they knew it. Slowing down to keep pace with them, the side window rolled down and the passenger yelled out to them. "Hey…hey. Are you guys in trouble?" Beckett glanced over at the car and finally realized that it wasn't Tyson or any of his men. The occupants of the car appeared to be an average mid-aged couple. While neither of them could be completely positive that they weren't ax-murders, at this rate they were willing to take their chances with them before they go back up against Tyson.

Out of breath from their run, Beckett looked back at Castle and he nodded his approval. "Yes. I'm Detective Kate Beckett from the NYPD. We need a hospital." The car rolled to a stop and the woman who was sitting in the passenger seat motioned for them to get in the back.

"Get in. It's just a little down the road. Not too far out of our way…" She smiled at Castle and Beckett as they piled into the unlocked backseat. Kate grabbed his hand and gave him a smile. This was just the help they needed. It was going to be okay. Relaxing into the seat, Kate laid her head onto Castle's shoulder and fell asleep before they made it to the hospital. Her body was finally at ease with the sheer hopefulness that they were almost to safety.

_**TBC**_

_**Let me know what you think!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer- Castle, mine? Nope! I wish!**_

_**A/N- Thanks for all the love! I go on vacation next week so I'm going to try to have one more update before I leave. Fingers crossed! As usual, thanks to Joanna and Janna for the help!**_

_**Chapter 7**_

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

The steady beat of medical machinery broke through Kate Beckett's unconscious state. She blinked away the watery glaze that clouded her vision. There was no recollection to when they reached the hospital or when she admitted. However, the fact that she was currently wearing a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV, it was safe to say she was definitely going to be here for a bit.

Scooting herself up a tad. she glanced at the clock on the wall and noted the early morning hour as the sun began to peek through the curtains on the window. She slept all night. The type of sleep that actually left her feeling refreshed. Her mouth no longer felt like sandpaper, which she assumed was due in part to the line pumping fluids into her system. They actually made it to the hospital. Wait, did they both make it? Where was Castle? And where were they?

Reaching to the side of the bed, she grabbed the cord that was attached to the nurse call button and pressed it. She laid her head back down onto her pillow for a moment and sighed. Someone needed to give her answers now or she would walk out into the hallway, hospital gown and all…

"You're up. How are you feeling?" A cheery woman greeted her while walking toward her bed. "I'm Nurse Finnegan."

"I'm feeling fine surprisingly. Where is my fiancé? And I know this makes me sound crazy, but what town am I even in?" Her nurse started taking her vitals and smiled down at her.

The woman went on to explain that the couple in the car dropped them off in the ambulance bay and the man she was with basically carried her into the ER before he collapsed. Castle was stable but unconscious with multiple broken bones and too many injuries to count. Currently both of them were registered in the hospital as John and Jane Doe because neither one had any identification on them. Due to the condition of their arrival, local authorities in Hillsborough, NJ were notified to check databases in the surrounding area for any missing persons matching their description.

"I'm Detective Kate Beckett from the NYPD. But please call me Kate. And that man is Richard Castle. I need to be able to use the phone to contact my precinct and let them know that we're here…"

"Yes, most definitely. Here, let me pull the phone closer to the bed for you to reach. Also, the local authorities are already on standby for when one of you awoke; they have some questions for you. But the most important thing…you both are safe here." Kate gave the nurse a small, hesitant smile. Safety…what a relief. However, she wouldn't feel completely comfortable until she was reunited with Castle again.

"Am I okay though? We were both drugged a couple times and before we were abducted I found out I was…" She paused to gain her composure and swallow her pride. A complete stranger was not the first person she wanted to share the news with. Castle…he deserved to know. They deserved to celebrate together. This was not how the news of pregnancy should be acknowledged out loud…

"Pregnant…yes Ms. Beckett, we know about that. We ran some basic blood tests on you while you were out. Basically just trying to find out what was in your system, if anything, and to find out what we could do to help you. On any women of child-bearing age, it is standard procedure to run a pregnancy test on the blood drawn as well."

"So I'm still pregnant? The drugs I was injected with didn't harm the baby?" She closed her eyes and swallowed thickly. Preparing herself, she internally started building walls around her heart. Protecting her in case, Tyson harmed more than just her body.

"We don't know the extent of the damage that the drugs did to your system, at this point. We are going to run additional tests. However, your vitals that I just took now are good. You're heart rate and blood pressure are now within normal range, as compared to when you were admitted. How about you make your phone call and I'll let the doctor know you're awake. Then we can get those additional tests ran."

"Thank you…" Beckett smiled up at her and then reached for the phone to call the 12th.

* * *

Hearing the call ring through the ear piece was slow torture…it felt like it was ringing forever, after only a moment.

"Esposito." Happiness shot through her body, hearing her friend's voice on the other end of line.

"Javi!"

"Beckett! God, where the hell are you? Are you okay? Ryan and I looked all over that building for you…both you and Castle. Some meathead got the drop on me almost as soon as I entered that building and the same thing happened to Ryan. Gates found us hours later after we didn't check in, but you were already gone…" Her friends were okay. That knowledge lifted a huge weight from her shoulders. Her stupidity and carelessness didn't permanently injure her friends. She was smiling just listening to his voice and hearing him recall the rest of their ordeal. He had yet to take a breath to even let her say anything about where they were or what had happened to them. She laughed a little when he finally paused. "But seriously…are you okay? Where are you?"

"Espo, we're fine now. We're both admitted in a hospital in New Jersey. I can either get the nurse to talk to you about the location or you can trace this line. Either way, Tyson took us, drugged us and all but tortured Castle. He's still unconscious, but I was told he's stable. All that matters right now is he is alive, but I need you guys to get down here. We need to find Tyson before he finds us again…"

"We will be on our way as soon as I hang up the phone. But you can't go after him. Not like this, not now. You and Castle both need to heal from the ordeal. Let Ryan and I find the bastard…"

"It's not your fight..."

"To hell with that! You and Castle are our family…and if you mess with one, you mess with all. So don't tell me it's not our fight. We will be there soon. Just get some rest." Kate let a frustrated sigh fall from her lips. He was right…she knew he was right, but that didn't make any of this any easier.

"Fine. Thank you…" Slowly she hung up the phone and laid her head back into the stiff hospital pillow. They needed to find Tyson and quick, because every minute that passed, he was one step closer to finding them. Her thoughts floated through the horrors of the last couple days as she fell back asleep.

* * *

The door to Kate's hospital room flung open and a tall middle-aged man walked through holding Beckett's chart. He gave her a polite smile and walked toward her bed as her nurse followed behind him rolling in some bulky machinery to her bedside.

"Ms. Beckett, I'm Dr. Blakely. How are you feeling?"

"Please call me Kate. I'm actually starting to feel more like myself. As much as I hate this thing in my arm, I think the fluids are helping." She softly replied to the doctor while trying to readjust her body into a more comfortable position on the hard mattress.

"That's great to hear. I reviewed your chart and all your blood work looks good actually. There isn't any evidence of any drugs still in your system, which is the good news. The bad news is that since we can't see the remnants of what you were injected with, we can't be 100% sure that it didn't affect your pregnancy. .." Kate sucked in a sharp breath. Damnit. That bastard- he can't win. Emotion flooded her thoughts and water started to cloud her vision.

Trying to put herself back within her guarded walls, she took a deep breath, wiped away the excess water from her eyes and tried to gain her composure. "So how do we know the baby is okay?" Her voice came out more shaky and broken then she intended. This doctor was basically a stranger and this wasn't how she handled herself around someone unfamiliar. She held it together in front people unless she let them in. Her inner circle. He wasn't within those walls, but her hormones were apparently already playing tricks on her. Maybe that was a good sign?

"Well the hCG levels in your blood are still within normal pregnancy limits so that's a positive indicator. We brought in the ultrasound machine and the fetal Doppler to do some additional tests to double-check the fetus's development…" First ultrasound…Castle needed to be here. He shouldn't miss this…

"My fiancé? Can I wait until he can be here with me?"

"Mr. Castle is still unconscious. And I understand your desire for him to not miss out on this, but we really shouldn't wait. I promise you that as your pregnancy progresses, there will be plenty of ultrasounds and Doppler reads that he can be present for." Beckett swallowed the sob down into her throat and nodded her approval.

Skillfully, the machines were all hooked up in place while the nurse adjusted Kate's hospital gown and bedding to leave the small patch of skin of her abdomen uncovered. With wide eyes, she watched as the doctor brought the instrument to her stomach applying a little pressure. Odd swoosh sounds filled the air, until he eventually moved it to the right position and the heartbeat echoed through the small room. Her baby…their baby. The idea itself floored her, but it felt right. She was hearing their wonderful miracle for the very first time and what a miracle it truly was after their nightmare. "Does it sound okay? Is the heartbeat strong enough?" She strung the questions together, barely finishing the first before the second fell out of her lips.

"Perfect. The heartbeat is very strong and stable within the fetal range we like to hear…"

"Good. At least that's good…" This was all new and the fear of the unknown, coupled with the drama that Tyson brought to their lives; it was a lot for her to deal with alone. Castle would have been her reassurance during this, her rock.

Dr. Blakely handed the fetal Doppler back to the nurse and grabbed a bottle that was sitting on top of the larger machine in the room. "This may be a little cold…" He warned before squirting the blue gel onto the skin underneath her bellybutton. The nurse switched on the machine and the monitor. She then typed in all of Kate's information into their system, including the date that she started her last cycle. Beckett cringed a bit when she realized that it was almost 2 months ago. Everything with planning the wedding and then the issue with Bracken, she lost track of some of these personal matters.

With all the information now displayed on the screen, her doctor brought the device to her skin and began moving the gel around. A similar sound to the Doppler echoed through the room, as a black and white grainy image appeared on the monitor. "Okay…see this right here?" Kate squint her eyes and slowly nodded. "This is your baby and do you see that flickering over there? That is the baby's heart beating." Happy tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the image before her. It was almost too much. Any fear or hesitation she had, crumbled when she saw the image. The walls she tried to re-erect were no longer needed.

"I'm having a baby…" She smiled astonished as it finally fully hit her for the first time. This was very real.

"Yes you are. From everything we see and can measure, the fetus appears to be 8 weeks old, which would match the date that you gave us. Heartbeat is strong and development seems with normal ranges. However, due to the ordeal you experienced, we will have to classify you as high-risk and have you monitored by your doctor a little more often. This is strictly as a precaution…"

"I understand." It was reassuring to know that the doctors would be watching closely to make sure their baby was healthy. This was no less than Castle would have demanded himself. The doctor finished up the ultrasound, wiped off the remaining gel and printed a picture of the ultrasound for Kate. This was the photographic proof of the miracle that was growing inside of her. Strong and resilient, like both her and Castle…

* * *

Time passed by before Kate's nurse informed her that Castle was awake and she could now see him. By this point, she had already changed into her regular clothing that her Dad brought out to her and she already had her release paperwork in hand from the hospital. It wasn't like she was leaving. She wouldn't leave the hospital until Castle was leaving with her.

With ease she pushed the door into his room open and hovered in the doorway just taking in the scene before her eyes. Bandages were covering random areas of his body and machines were beeping steadily into the otherwise silent area. His face was a little swollen and very bruised, but when his eyes blinked open, he took her breath away. She couldn't love him anymore then she did in this moment.

"Hey there tough guy…" Beckett's lips turned into a smirk as she walked toward his bedside. Reaching for his hand, her fingers lovingly massaged the battered skin and then interlaced their fingers together. Her other hand feathered his hair out of his eyes before she bent down to breathe a kiss on to his forehead.

"Kate, are you okay? You're crying…" Oh, she didn't even realize that the tears were streaming down her face. She was just so happy to see him.

"Babe, you're here and you're alive. I'm happy…" She smiled at him as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was it. No more waiting. Cautiously Kate reached into her back pocket and pulled out the print from her ultrasound. "This isn't the best way to tell you, but I can't wait for the perfect time to tell you this amazing news…" Leaning back over his body, avoiding the cords and IV line, she placed a kiss right on the outer shell of his ear, laid the picture into his grasp and whispered. "Castle, I'm pregnant…"

_TBC_

**_Thoughts?_**


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay! I'm back from vacation so updates will be back to normal. Thanks for sticking with me as I get back into the swing of things. As always, thanks for my 2 lovely ladies, Joanna and Janna for helping me out. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed, followed and favorited! So happy you are enjoying my little story :) I added a little recap in the beginning since it's been awhile since the last update.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of its characters. A girl can dream though!**_

_**Chapter 8**_

_Previously in Chapter 7:_

_Time passed by before Kate's nurse informed her that Castle was awake and she could now see him. By this point, she had already changed into her regular clothing that her Dad brought out to her and she already had her release paperwork in hand from the hospital. It's not like she was leaving. She wouldn't leave the hospital until Castle was leaving with her._

_With ease she pushed the door into his room open and hovered in the doorway just taking in the scene before her eyes. Bandages were covering random areas of his body and machines were beeping steadily into the otherwise silent area. His face was a little swollen and very bruised, but when his eyes blinked open, he took her breath away. She couldn't love him anymore then she did in this moment._

"_Hey there tough guy…" Beckett's lips turned into a smirk as she walked toward his bedside. Reaching for his hand, her fingers lovingly massaged the battered skin and then interlaced their fingers together. Her other hand feathered his hair out of his eyes before she bent down to breathe a kiss on to his forehead._

"_Kate, are you okay? You're crying…" Oh, she didn't even realize that the tears were streaming down her face. She was just so happy to see him._

"_Babe, you're here and you're alive. I'm happy…" She smiled at him as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. This was it. No more waiting. Cautiously Kate reached into her back pocket and pulled out the print from her ultrasound. "This isn't the best way to tell you, but I can't wait for the perfect time to tell you this amazing news…" Leaning back over his body, avoiding the cords and IV line, she placed a kiss right on the outer shell of his ear, laid the picture into his grasp and whispered. "Castle, I'm pregnant…"_

* * *

Her words hung in the air for what seemed like forever. Castle gasped and gently turned so he was looking her in the eyes. Happiness washed across all his features and Beckett's face broke out into a huge grin. Finally acknowledging the print in his hand, he carefully moved to bring the picture into his vision. "We're having a baby?" He said with disbelief and joy all in one. She nodded in acknowledgement and giggled a bit.

"Crazy, huh?" Kate smiled down at Castle, and they stared at the picture of the ultrasound. They both lost themselves in the moment and shared a sweet kiss on the lips. "I love you so much and I love our little person, too." She moved her hand to her flat stomach, where the little resilient life was growing. Angling himself tenderly, Castle placed his hand over Beckett's and reached up to place kiss her forehead. Whatever pain he was in due to his battered state was momentarily relieved from the happiness he felt with this news. The wedding may have been postponed by Tyson and his vendetta, but he wouldn't ruin this. Seeing how happy this made him, Kate's excitement grew stronger. Their baby would be protected no matter what.

"I love you both. Kate this is spectacular…We are really having a baby!" He smiled as the doubt of the news faded. The joy and love in his expression melted all of Beckett's uncertainty away. They were a team and whatever obstacles that they were presented with couldn't stand a chance against them. Kate crawled into bed next to Castle, snuggled against his chest all while avoiding the cords connecting to the various machines. The only thing that would make this better would be if they were home in their own bed, instead of having him hospitalized on the run from a deranged serial killer. Life can't be perfect though. This was how things had always been with them. And she feared that they would be boring. She was kidding herself. Hell, times like this, she would gladly welcome _boring_. "So how far along are you?"

"8 weeks…I was trying to think about when it may have happened, but there are quite a few possibilities…" Kate laughed and nuzzled her face into his neck before she placed feather like kisses up his jaw line.

"If you are 8 weeks along, it could be that weekend we spent away in the Hamptons. You know when we took the break from planning the wedding…that definitely was the stress relief we needed during that time…" He chuckled a bit before a coughing fit had him wincing in pain. His pained expression quickly reminded her of all the injuries, including broken ribs, that he was currently hospitalized for. Their small bubble of happiness burst and reality seeped in.

"Do you want me to get up? I don't want to hurt you…" She hesitated and slowly started to get off his bed before he carefully reached up to pull her back down to him.

"Kate, I want you here. I want you close. Maybe we can just rest here together…"

"That sounds perfect." Beckett laid her head onto his chest and closed her eyes.

* * *

Before long the door to Castle's room opened and two smiling red heads walked through the door. "Knock knock…" Martha smiled at the couple, as Alexis practically ran towards them.

"Dad! I'm so glad you're okay! You too, Kate." Kate moved out of the bed so the girl could hug her father. Castle was already such a wonderful father. The way his face lit up when he saw his daughter warmed Beckett's chest.

"Hey, pumpkin. Yeah, I'm fine." He quickly brushed a kiss to her forehead, before she looked at him with uncertainty.

"Richard, you hardly seem fine. You have bruises everywhere and we thought we lost both of you!" His mother always brought such dramatic flair to every situation which seemed to be her defense mechanism. "But seriously, kiddo. I'm glad to see you both are okay." Kate smiled at her soon to be mother-in-law and then they began to fill the women in on what happened. They tried to keep the gory details to a minimum to spare their family from worrying about them anymore than they already had been.

After they paused from telling the tale of the dramatic escape, they shared the news of their expanding family. Alexis couldn't stop smiling about the idea of having a sibling and Martha was overjoyed now that she knew she that she was getting another grandchild to spoil. Many hugs, kisses and tears were shared among the group before they were asked to leave so Castle could get some rest. His mother and daughter were the first to walk out, so Kate could have a minute alone with Castle.

"Hey, I'm going to check in with the boys and see if they found anything with Tyson…" She gently ran her fingers through his hair and placed a light kiss on his lips. "Get some rest so you can come home…"

"Kate, please don't chase him. Let the boys handle it, especially now."

"Especially now? Castle, we're both close to this and have been for awhile. I'm going to let them handle it for now so I can stay in the hospital until you are released. This is not because I'm pregnant, though. I'm still a detective and I'm going to still do my job." Castle huffed a little at her statement before she continued. "I'm not going to put myself in unnecessary danger, Castle. I'm going to be careful, but I can't be scared to do my job." She paused before their eyes met. "I just have to be careful…" She repeated, then gave him another kiss and walked out the door.

* * *

Sitting outside of Castle's room, Beckett pulled out her cell phone to call Esposito. The stress of the day made her completed drained of all her energy, but she refused to go home to rest. She would walk out of the hospital as soon as Castle could.

"Esposito."

"Espo, its Beckett. Anything on Tyson?" The silence on the other end was all the answer that she needed. How is that possible? Were they both so drugged out that they couldn't give the authorities the correct location of that building that they were held?

"We worked with the local cops and found the building. It was abandoned…" Damn…He was still out there. Somewhere plotting against their happiness. Plotting against their future. "CSU processed the scene, but there were no prints anywhere. The only reason we knew we had the right building was because we found blood that belonged to both you and Castle…but that's all…"

"Javi, how is that possible? How can there not be a partial print or a strand of hair somewhere? I mean…seriously? Nothing?" It was impossible. From her hazy memory, that building was pretty large. How could they be that careful and had everything planned that precisely?

"I know. It's crazy, but it's true. We've got nothing. Ryan and I aren't giving up. We're searching through everything we can, but there aren't any security or traffic cams in the area, being that the location was kinda remote…" As frustrated as she was, she knew that he was trying. She knew that she could trust that the boys would do everything they could to keep her and Castle safe. They hated Tyson, too. Not one of them would be safe until he was permanently behind bars. Kate sighed and took a minute before saying anything further. Her emotions were starting to catch up with her; the fear was settled in her chest. Making her heart race. Making her think of all the worst case scenarios that were ahead of them. None of the thoughts that played through her mind would be helpful. Nothing productive. She needed to compose herself. She needed to be strong for her friends and she especially needed to be strong for her fiancé who currently was still healing here in the hospital from this maniac.

"Okay, keep looking and let me know if you find anything. The doctor said that Castle may possibly be released tomorrow, but I think I might see if it's feasible for him to be released sooner. Maybe discretely in the middle of the night. I just feel like we're sitting ducks here. If Tyson is still in the area and he finds us here, I don't know if local authorities will honestly know what to watch for." The thought of Tyson finding them while Castle was still hospitalized, terrified her. She was in a better state than Castle currently, but it didn't mean that she felt confident to take him on by herself. They needed to be back in the city. They needed to be reunited with the rest of their team. She sighed again and cleared her throat from the emotion that restricted her speech. "Thanks for everything…"

_TBC_

**_What did you think?_**


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: I had trouble posting this chapter last night...so hopefully it works now. There should be one more chapter after this and possibly a sequel if there is enough interest. Writing this has been so much fun, I may continue the adventure of writing fanfics. Thanks for all the feedback. It really does help! Special thanks to Jo ( fan1bsb97) &amp; Janna.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of its characters. I wish!**_

_**Chapter 9**_

When she got off the phone with Esposito she started to feel a little paranoid. She didn't feel safe in the hospital and felt like any hospital employee could be Tyson or one of his minions in disguise. They needed to get home.

Beckett quietly walked toward Castle's room before pausing at the doorway. She smiled at the love of her life as he slept. Even though he was connected to all sorts of medical machinery, he had a hint of a peaceful smile on his face. The timing of her news may not have been ideal, but she was excited that their family was growing. When Kate broke the news to him, she saw the look in his eyes. Part of him wanted to wrap her in bubble wrap, hire a private security team, and pack up their lives to hide from the danger. The danger of Tyson looming over them; waiting to try to ruin their happiness any further than he already had. However, Castle knew better. He knew that Kate wouldn't run; she would not let Tyson make them afraid. So as much as she knew that he wanted to bring up the overprotective idea, Beckett was appreciative that he didn't vocalize all the fears and thoughts that she knew were brewing in his head.

Tyson was going to pay for everything he had put her friends and family through. She wasn't going to risk her life, and she would be careful-but he would get his in the end. Adrenaline was pumping through her body, making her heart race. Motivated to end this and end this now, Beckett gave her sleeping fiancé one last looked before she walked off in search of his doctor. She was getting him out of there and she needed to do it before sun rise.

The hospital seemed safe enough. All the staff that they'd encountered had all been helpful in their own way. It just wasn't home. She needed the boys close by to have their backs if something went wrong. Pride couldn't get in the way this time. They were not going to let stupidity and recklessness allow Tyson to outsmart any of them. There was a tiny little space in Hell waiting for him. She would see to that.

Kate walked down the hospital corridor toward the nurse's station until she found someone who had been caring for Castle. She asked to speak to her privately so less people would be aware of their situation. After Beckett explained that it was vital that his doctor meet her in Castle's room, Kate found Martha sleeping in the waiting room. Both her and Alexis were suppose to go home, but the thought of them leaving the hospital without Castle…Beckett completely understood what they were going through. She hated waking her future mother-in-law up, however this was necessary. "Martha…" she whispered, gently tapping her shoulder.

"Hmmph…oh Katherine. What is it darling?" The woman slowly sat up while wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"Martha, I'm going to talk to Castle's doctor and try to get him released now if it's medically safe for him. We need to get back to city…"

* * *

After a lot of persuasion from all involved parties, the doctor finally agreed to release Castle even though he told them it would be more beneficial for him to stay for at least another night. Maybe in a world of black and white…maybe then Castle could stay in the hospital for another day without the fear of being attacked or the fear of being abducted again. Kate wasn't sure that either of them would be able to handle a second abduction. They were strong, but their strength within was slowly chipping away. Tiny hair line cracks were forming in their resolve. In all actuality- they wouldn't fully heal, totally get their complete confidence back until Tyson was gone for good. Beckett usually had full faith in the law and the system- however all that faith did not include Tyson. Somehow he was too connected, had too many friends that allowed him to circumvent the law. Until he was permanently handled, buried six feet under…then maybe she could feel safe.

Castle looked up at her, gave her a look of concern. A look that said he felt it too. They had been in sync with one another for so long. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever be able to communicate with someone with one look and be able to know the thoughts that played within their mind. He was still injured and healing, but he was concerned about her and their expanding family.

* * *

The drive back to the city had everyone on edge. Any vehicle that appeared to follow too close or cut them off in traffic left their suspicions on overdrive. Sure, they were being paranoid, but the paranoia was not unfounded. They seemed to avoid Tyson while in the hospital, but he could be following them or watching them. This needed to end. No one could live life while constantly looking over their shoulder.

They arrived at the loft and met Ryan and Esposito at the front of the building. "We swept the entire building and searched your loft. It's secure." Ryan informed them as they walked into the lobby.

"Okay, let's get upstairs and we can plan our next move. Castle, we need to give you your next dose of meds and you should probably lay down…"

"I don't need…" Castle quickly started to object to her statement before she placed a loving hand on his bicep, nudging him into the elevator.

"Babe, you need to heal and rest. Once you're 100%, then you can help. But now, if you don't allow yourself to get better, you won't be able to help." She reached up to place a kiss on his lips and then walked out towards their loft door. "I love you and need you around- but if it makes you feel better, I won't go with the boys until you can. I'll stay and nurse you back to health." Beckett smiled at her fiancé as his eyes lit up for a moment.

"Since you mentioned nursing me back to health…how about that sexy nurse outfit?" He laughed for a moment. Then the realization hit…they weren't alone.

Alexis cleared her throat and rolled her eyes at him. "Seriously, Dad…know your audience…" Beckett smirked at that father-daughter duo, patted Castle gently on the chest and walked into the loft. At least spirits were getting back to normal, whether forced or not. Their lives wouldn't solely be based on fear.

* * *

While Castle slept, they went through all the evidence that Ryan and Esposito collected on Tyson. There were some witness accounts that they were reading through but nothing was helpful. She didn't want to lose hope, but there wasn't much to go on. Not even a direction to look. While Castle and Beckett were in the hospital, the boys along with local authorities canvassed the area around the building…searched the surrounding area after they didn't find any evidence in the building. All that was for not. He basically disappeared…he was a ghost. They were going over things for hours now and her eyes were drooping. Coffee stopped helping an hour ago...

"Beckett, why don't you get some sleep? We have a detail on the loft and all entrances to the building are guarded by a uniform. Javi and I will go down to the precinct and retrace our steps…"

"Yeah, if Ryan and I find anything we'll call right away. In the mean time, take care of yourself and writer boy." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. The idea of cuddling with Castle in their bed and then taking a nice long bath- she could definitely use a break. It wasn't like she was completely better. She'd been through hell herself and the pregnancy was sucking some of the energy from her system as well. Not that she would admit any of that to anyone.

"Fine, but seriously. Anything significant, I want to know. We aren't going to stay prisoners in our own home…" She walked her partners to the door, looked around the hallway, and latched all the locks on their front door. Looking around the room, she half expected Tyson to jump out at her. She knew it was insane, but after everything they'd been through, anything seemed possible with him. What she really could use was be a nice glass of wine, but in her current state she had several months to wait to enjoy a glass.

Kate slowly padded her way to their bedroom where Castle was softly snoring. He looked so peaceful but he was sprawled out in the middle of their bed. Laughing softly to herself, she realized she wouldn't be getting any rest anytime soon unless she disturbed his sleep. "Bath it is then…"

* * *

Wrapping herself in her robe after her bath water finally turned cold, Kate stepped toward the mirror above the sink. She stared at her reflection for a moment analyzing the dark circles under her eyes and all the tiny cuts and bruises from their time in Hell with Tyson. To think that not even two weeks ago, she was wearing her mother's wedding dress and feeling like she was walking on air. She felt beautiful…before her world crashed down. Her current battered state was far from that. This was not how a bride would look and to be completely honest, she didn't even want the big wedding anymore. All that mattered was that her and Castle were united. She didn't care if they just went down to city hall and just made it official. The mayor himself could probably perform the ceremony if Castle asked…the time for flowers, white dresses, and traditions were out the window.

When Kate walked back into their room, he was finally just on his side of the bed. Relief washed over her system as she crawled into bed next to her love. She cuddled up to him and closed her eyes. The rest of the world could wait for a bit. She wanted to lose herself in this moment with him.

It didn't seem like she was sleeping for long when her phone started to buzz. Note to self: next time completely silence the phone… She looked down at her cell about to ignore the offending caller when she noticed it was the Precinct. "Beckett…"

"Beckett, hey- I know it's only been a couple hours since we left…" Couple hours? She looked at the clock and sure enough. Apparently her eyes were closed for more than a couple minutes…

"It's fine, Ryan. What is it?" She heard his hesitation on the other end, which caused anxiety to start fluttering in her stomach.

"We found him…Tyson. Tyson- he's dead…"

**_TBC_**

**_Thoughts?_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Special thanks to Jo ( fan1bsb97) &amp; Janna.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of its characters. I wish!**_

_**Chapter 10**_

Wait, what? Ryan's words left her in complete disbelief. How could he be dead? There were no clues…no trace of him. He disappeared without a speck of evidence and he showed up dead? She needed to see it for herself. Words would not be enough this time. She knew that Ryan and Esposito wanted Tyson too, but no one wanted them as much as Castle and herself…no one. "I'm coming there. I need to see it…" Ryan spouted off the address, causing her to jump from her bed. She quickly threw on a pair of yoga pants and a lightweight, off the shoulder sweater. Beckett wasn't on duty today, so it didn't matter that she wasn't dressing the part of Detective Beckett. Right now she was just Kate, concerned citizen, concerned about the safety of her friends and family. She kissed Castle's forehead before she walked out of the room. Looking back at his sleeping form, she silently promised him that she would make sure this nightmare was over.

* * *

The sun had yet to rise at the early morning hour while she rushed to find the crime scene. A sinking feeling remained in the pit of her stomach…paranoia creeping in causing her to look over her shoulder every so often as she approached the yellow tape. She felt like someone was watching her. Shrugging off the feeling, she placed a hand on her gun just for reassurance and crossed into the crime scene. Esposito and Ryan were standing next to a couple of other cops and Lanie; all staring at the body on the ground. Pausing for a moment, Beckett took a deep breath and walked up to her partners.

"Espo…" her voice was almost a whisper as she took a good look at the body for the first time. Son of a bitch. It was Tyson. Dressed in the same clothing that he wore the last time she encountered him; the time he taunted her, after he nearly beat Castle to death. And now, she was staring down at his miserable, lifeless body. A small smile formed on her lips. It was over. "So how'd it happen?"

"Ligature marks point to strangulation… kind of poetic if you ask me." Lanie smirked at her friend. True it was a crime scene and usually there was a level of respect around the dead body, but not this time. Tyson deserved no respect. He deserved so much worse than just a simple strangulation.

"Hmm…when? I mean, time of death?" Kate still wasn't thinking straight, this seemed to all be happening too fast and too slow at the same time.

"We're putting time of death at around midnight to 2 am, but I won't know for sure until we get him back to the morgue." Beckett stared at Tyson's face; it was him, it had to be. But the feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. This was all to good to be true and maybe that was the problem. Maybe with the way their luck had been in recent days, this fortunate event just wasn't sitting well with her.

"Guys, I know this is crazy, but we're sure it's him, right? He's gone for good…he needs to be gone for good." Ryan gave her a sympathetic look. She was never this unsure. Though she was never one to believe in the impossible; lately they'd encountered the most insane string of events. She didn't believe anything was real anymore, not until she had seen the evidence in black and white. Scientific proof that, Jerry Tyson was dead and out of their lives forever.

"Kate, I promise I will run every test possible to ensure that this is Tyson. The real Tyson." Lanie laid a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder and gave her a small smile. Beckett hated that everyone seemed to be treating her with kid gloves, but the truth of the matter was….it was almost necessary. This maniac almost killed her fiancé and he messed with people she cared about. She was definitely on the brink of a mental breakdown. "We have a little back up at the lab so it may be a day or so until we have everything back, but I'll try to get it rushed as much as possible."

"Thanks Lane…I appreciate it." It was overkill, she told herself. Looking down at his body once more, focusing on his face, he was gone. It was him. She didn't know who killed the bastard, but part of her wanted to shake the murderer's hand while the other part wanted to punch them in the gut for robbing her of the opportunity to do it herself. However, she wasn't a murderer…she enforced the law, but this was one case she would be unable to help solve. She'd leave that to her friends…her team…her partners.

Gates walked up behind her from almost nowhere. Kate had no idea that she was even at the scene, but with a body drop this important, she could understand why. "Detective, I want you to take a week off at least. We will handle things while you and Mr. Castle get your lives back in order." She smiled at her detective, one that Kate returned as well.

"Thank you, sir. I think it's definitely needed." Beckett discussed some final details with her coworkers before heading back to her car. She couldn't wait to tell Castle. Their family was going to be okay. They were safe.

* * *

A couple days had passed since they were home from the hospital with both Castle and Beckett trying to get back to normal. Of course Castle still had a couple broken ribs and some bruises that marred him, but overall they were trying to keep their spirits up. The only thing that was nagging at Beckett was Castle refusing to talk about his abduction or Tyson. He didn't even open up much to Kate about Tyson's murder. Frankly he didn't really acknowledge it at all. It was almost like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was going to start physical therapy next week along with talking to a psychologist about the entire situation.

After basically secluding themselves in the loft for the last couple days, Castle started to get stir crazy. He finally convinced Kate to get out of their little bubble, so all morning they were walking around town, hand in hand, enjoying each other. The weight of their situation was lifting slowly, but the physical scars still weighed them down. Castle couldn't move as quickly as was normal for them nor could he walk as long, but that didn't damper things. They window shopped around town, peeking their heads in at baby boutiques. Castle already couldn't stop talking about all the things he couldn't wait to do with their baby or buy for him or her. The love they felt for one another was apparent by every passer-by.

"Castle, we don't even know what we're having yet. We can't start shopping…" She was grinning from ear to ear at her adorable, child-like fiancé. It was getting hard to prevent him from buying out the shops.

"I understand that, but certain things are uni-sex. And just look at these tiny little shoes!" Beckett rolled her eyes and giggled at him, just strolling through the store. You would think he was the woman by how excited he was about this baby! Not that she wasn't ecstatic; she just had a more reserved way of showing it. She gently touched some of the items as she walked through, imagining their little one wearing the outfit or cuddled in the blanket. The idea of babies never appealed to her, until it was the idea of babies with him.

They walked through a couple more stores before Beckett could finally see the fatigue set in on Castle. She knew better than to suggest that he was tired, so instead she distracted him with the idea of picking up some ice cream to eat at home. Ice cream always worked.

* * *

Balancing the bags with the ice cream sundae supplies in her arms, she walked toward their front door with Castle trailing behind her. Her phone started to buzz in her pocket when she noticed a brown envelope leaning against their door with their names written on the front. "Castle can you grab that? I need to answer this….Beckett…" She sounded kind of out of breath, but luckily he grabbed one of the bags from her after he opened the door. She refused to let him carry anything, but from the door to the counter would be acceptable.

"Hey…so I have news…" Esposito started hesitantly and then paused. Kate absent-mindedly balanced her cell between her ear and shoulder so she could use both hands to put away the ice cream. She looked over at Castle who seemed to be transfixed with the envelope.

"Open it…" She whispered to him. "Sorry Javi, what is it."

"Beckett, we got the results back from the lab about Tyson. Without a doubt, that body was not him…."

"What!" Her hands started to shake and the room started to spin. She quickly found a stool at the kitchen bar to sit down on. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, positive. Looks like this is another Dr. Nieman designer clone…" Then it hit her, what Tyson said in that room. Tyson had her help him with some additional items…this was it. He had her make someone look like him. A shiver ran through her body without her knowledge. The other shoe…the one both her and Castle were waiting to drop….it came crashing down.

"He was wearing the same clothes, Espo…that was the same man. I could've sworn it."

"It very well could've been the same person, Beckett. The clothes he was wearing had Castle's blood on them…unfortunately…he could be anywhere, and at this point, he could look like anyone…"

"No…no this can't be happening…" Her stomach twisted in a knot and she needed to get to the closest bathroom. The phone slipped from her hand and she sprinted to the bathroom. She heard Castle stumble after her, as she proceeded to empty the contents of her stomach into the bowl. He bent down gently to rub her back and placed a kiss into her curly brown hair that he brushed out of her face. "It wasn't him…he's still out there…" She choked back a sob as she turned toward the concerned look on her fiancé's face.

"I know…" His face fell as he held up the brown envelope that hadn't left his grasp since walking through the door.

"You know? How?" Slowly he opened up the envelope and pulled out a single piece of paper. Beckett wiped off her mouth and sat down onto the floor.

"Because of this…" His eyes closed as he handed her the paper. Her ultrasound picture. She frantically looked up at Castle, before she turned the image over where she noticed some words scribbled on the back…

_"Congrats to Mom and Dad…See you soon…T"_

Oh God…

**_The End…_**

**_A/N pt 2: There you have it. The story I set out to tell...Thank you for all your support with this fic. I can't believe I actually wrote one from start to finish. That being said, obviously I have further ideas on this version of Castle and Beckett and I am writing a sequel called "If You Want The Happy Ending". I'm also brainstorming on some other ideas right now as well. So thank you so much for everything! Let me know what you think! :) _**


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